Pop-up shop chance for young Brighton and Hove business people (From The Argus)

Pop-up shop chance for young Brighton and Hove business people

12:30pm Friday 27th July 2012 in News By Neil Vowles

Youngsters in Brighton and Hove will be some of the first in the country to be given the chance to start their own pop-up shop as they take their first steps into a career in retail.

Retail charity The Retail Trust and youth charity vInspired have teamed up with Worthing-based empty shops pioneer Dan Thompson to create a workshop featuring ten pop-up shops in ten different locations across the country.

The first two areas the Retail Ready People project will focus on are Brighton and Enfield with recruiting of 16-25 year-olds happening now.

Applications must be sent by the end of August with the shop proposed to open for a month from November 3.

No site has currently been chosen for the pop-up shop in Brighton. The trust said it was looking to target an area that was struggling and losing footfall with the aim of reviving the location for the benefit of local businesses.

The trust is looking for locations elsewhere in the country that meet its criteria and which aren’t currently subject to a lot of funding.

Anahid Basmajian, the Retail Trust

We would love someone to take on the shop once the month is finished, we don’t just want to say we’ve done it now and that’s the end

The project will involve a team of 30 young volunteers who will take part in a free training programme to develop skills in areas like design, marketing, communication and display.

Anahid Basmajian from the Retail Trust said: “We chose Brighton because we wanted a mixture of large, small and independent retailers, with a strong commitment to volunteering.

"We feel there’s a strong third sector commitment here and lots of young people as well.

“We want to go where people aren’t going, to the places that aren’t as popular as perhaps they once were.

“We would love someone to take on the shop once the month is finished, we don’t just want to say we’ve done it now and that’s the end.”

Empty Shops Network founder Dan Thompson said he chose Brighton because of its range of trendy, independent shops.

He said: “This project will absolutely leave a legacy, we will leave behind 30 young people fired up with the opportunity to not just start in a minimum wage job but who could open their own shop.

“We have been going for 12 years and we are gathering more and more evidence that town centres need to offer something more.

“People need better ways to spend their time rather than just spending money.”